Pressure control for waffle irons



c. c. LEAVITT 2,211,900 PRESSURE CONTROL FOR WAFFLE IRONS Aug. 20, 1940.

Filed Sept. 11, 1939 VINVENTOR.

v ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED srArEs PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention aims to provide a simple structure, incorporated in the handle on the cap of a waflie iron, whereby when the cap has been raised by the expanding action of the wafile that is 5 being cooked, the cap will be held in its uppermost position, it being possible to set the cap free, for ready removal, by a simple operation of the handle, in lifting the cap, and there being no necessity for performing an additional opero ation to set free the means whereby the cap is held elevated.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the-utility of devices of that type to which the present inven- 1 tion appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds,

, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it

being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in elevation, a waflie iron equipped with the device constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2. is a top plan wherein parts are broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, the ratchet being released from the pawl.

The numeral I marks the base of a waifle iron, having an outstanding circumferential bead 2. A pawl 3 is fixed tothe bead 2, and has a sharpened outer edge 4.

The cap of the waflle iron is marked by the numeral 5. Outstanding brackets 6 are secured to the cap 5 and have outwardly extended, semicircular tongues I, defining upper shoulders 8 and lower shoulders 9 in the brackets. In the tongues 'I, a pivot element I is mounted.

The numeral I I designates a T-shaped handle, including a shank I2 and a grip I4 secured intermediate its ends to the outer end of the shank. In its sides, the shank I2 of the handle I I is provided with semi-circular recesses I5, receiving the tongues I of the brackets 6. The recesses I define, in the shank I2 of the handle I I, upper shoulders I6, and lower shoulders I'I. Formed integrally with the inner end of the shank I2 of the handle I I is a thinned, depending ratchet arm I8,-received between the brackets 6, the pivot element I0 passing through the upper part of the ratchet arm I8, to afford a pivotal mounting whereby the handle I I may have limited vertical swinging movement. On its inner edge, the ratchet arm I8 is supplied with teeth I9, adapted to cooperate with the pawl 3 on the base I of the 5 wafile iron.

In practical operation, the weight of the handle II causes the teeth I9 of the ratchet arm I8 to engage the pawl 3 on the base I of the waffle iron, as depicted in Fig. 1. The cooking of the waffle causes the cap 5 to rise, and the teeth I 9 of the ratchet arm I8 engage, one after another, with the pawl 3 on the base I. When the cap 5 reaches its uppermost position, the cooking of the wafile proceeds, and the cap does not exert an undesirable downward pressure on the wafile.

Attention is directed to the fact that the ratchet arm I8 need receive no attention from an operator. When the cap 5 is lifted by means of the handle II, the ratchet arm I8 is disengaged automatically from the pawl 3, the handle II swinging upwardly on the pivot element I0, until the shoulders I6 of the handle come into contact with the shoulders 8 on the brackets 6.

The device is simple in construction, but will be found thoroughly advantageous for the ends in view.

It will be understood, without specific delineation, that at a point diametrically opposite from that indicated by the location of the brackets 6 in Fig. 2!, there is the conventional hinge connection between the base I and the lid 5: or the handle structure and associated parts may be there duplicated.

Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed is:

1. A wafiie iron comprising a base, a cap superposed on the base, a handle, means for mounting the handle for vertical swinging movement on the cap, and a depending ratchet arm carried by the handle and cooperating with the base to support the cap in successively raised positions during the cooking of a waffie, the handle constituting a counterweight, maintaining the arm releasably engaged with the base, and the handle constituting means for releasing the arm from the base, when the cap is raised through the instrumentality of the handle.

2. A wafile iron constructed as set forth in claim 1, and wherein said means and the handle 50 are provided with interengaging elements which cooperate to limit the upward swinging move: ment of the handle, when the cap is raised through the instrumentality of the handle.

CHARLES CARROLL LEAVI'I'I. 55 

